So, I guess the answer to the thread title is that Star Wars is different from the rest because only this score inspires people to think they're better than John Williams, so much so that they can put together a superior score by simply editing a few clips.

But back on-topic: I remember hearing one time the phrase "sequels aren't real movies." Now I don't totally agree with that, but I think there's a valid point there, especially as far as SW is concerned.

As many have said, Star Wars works as a stand-alone movie. It's the only one of the series that does. ESB and ROTJ are both extensions of the original film, and the PT is an extension of the original trilogy. Each successove movie (in order of production, not episode number) builds on what has come before, and seeks to add touchstones here and there to remind you of what you felt while watching the previous movies.

Example: TIE Fighter Attack from SW is repeated when Lando is flying through the second Death Star in ROTJ. In SW, the music is purely about conveying the tone and excitement of the scene. In ROTJ, the music is used to convey the excitement of the scene, but is also intended to force memories of the excitement from hearing this music in the original film.

The "Rebel Fanfare" isn't a theme for the Rebel Alliance. Only in Return of the Jedi is it used this way. Star Wars and Empire have it as a theme for "the good guys." The cameos in The Phantom Menace (end of "He Is the Chosen One") and Revenge of the Sith (unreleased cue "Get 'Em R-2!") also herald "the good guys" in some way.

I don't mean to stray too far off topic, but Williams themes or motifs are not always exclusive to the
character/etc that they are normally associated with.

Examples:Leia's theme when Ben is cut down (ANH)
Yoda's theme when Leia, Chewie, Lando and droids are escaping Bespin (ESB)
Vader's theme when Lord Sidious and Yoda duel (ROTS)
***this one in particular seems to really rub people's carrots the wrong way, but it is
The Imperial March first, then (Darth Vader's Theme) second. No one seemed to mind when it
was played at the end of AOTC with the seeds of The Empire taking place!***

The first two are thought to just be used for the 'coolness' factoer, despite how much Leia's theme blows in that scene.

For the coolness factor?
I'm sure that's what Williams was thinking!

But actually, the emotional value of Leia's theme in that scene is why JW
used it. I know I've read that somewhere (maybe Soundtrack box set?),
along with his comments that he feels that the themes he writes should'nt
be exclusive to only one thing, if it works on a different level for
something else.

Well, think as to why Yoda's theme plays when Anikan and Padme are on the Conveyor Belt. This was sometihng that just sounded interesting, and someone said this a while ago.

Yeah, that's kind of a head scratcher to me, but so was all the music in
the final 1/4 of that film. I've never had a steak butchered so well!
Is that portion of Yoda's Theme original music scored for that scene,
or like so much else, just tracked in?

For "Ben's Death" I used part of the Princess theme in the begining. I felt it had the most sweeping melody of all the themes in the score. This wildly romantic music in this tragic setting represents Luke's and the Princess' reaction to leaving Ben behind.

For "Ben's Death" I used part of the Princess theme in the begining. I felt it had the most sweeping melody of all the themes in the score. This wildly romantic music in this tragic setting represents Luke's and the Princess' reaction to leaving Ben behind.

Yeah, Clash of Lightsabers didn't do that 'going strong, then suddenly go into wheezing, dying echoes' thing at the end originally... obviously a forshadowing of Vader's guresome fate, his mechanized breathing, and the way it would be reduced to a wheezing rasp when he finally fulfilled the destiny that he was currently in the middle of turning his back on and destroyed the Sith once and for all.

And the fact that it was played during Palpatine's scene was a foreshadowing of the fact that htis sacrifice would be ultimately only half-usefull, because the Emperor would return as a clone, years, later, thus un-completing the circle again.
Or, maybe some music, like the above examples, is just proof that Williams isn't like Lucas- the form, the emotion, and the style still take precedence over technically flawless work or accuracy at the expense of story.

In other words, maybe he really did score some of that just because 'it sounded cool.'

The end of He Is the Chosen one doesn't sound too much like the Rebel Fanfare. And in ESB, it is used for the Rebels on Hoth. ("Stand By, Ion Cannon. Fire.")

That's true, but in the same film it accompanies Han, Luke, and the Bespin gang on several occasions. "He Is the Chosen One" doesn't have the full Rebel fanfare, but it definitely features the first phrase of it. My point is that the Rebel Fanfare is basically "the good guys'" theme; it doesn't mean much in particular.